Playing video games for long could make you 'hallucinate'

Washington, Jan. 14 (ANI): Researchers have suggested that some gamers may be prone to experiencing "altered visual perceptions" of reality, which is very similar to hallucinations, after playing for hours at one time. Researchers from the Nottingham Trent University International Gaming Research Unit in the United Kingdom examined the data collected from 483 gamers, CBS News reported. The data has been taken through online forums. According to GameSpot, some gamers said that they reported distorted versions of their surroundings. Researchers wanted to explain Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP), which is how playing games can affect a person's sense of sight, sound, and touch after they are done playing. Lead author Mark Griffiths, psychology professor and lead author of the study said that in some playing experiences, video game images appeared without gamers' awareness and control and, in some cases, the images were uncomfortable, especially when gamers were not able to sleep or concentrate on anything else. He said that these experiences also resulted in irrational thoughts like gamers questioning their own mental health, getting embarrassed, or performing impulsive behaviors in social context. The study has been published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction. (ANI). Source: Article, Reference-Image: https://flickr.com